It may be that after some years
you will see differently. I was myself many years before coming to
entertain these views. But they were growing on me, perhaps
unconsciously, and at length they took this pronounced form. It may be
so with you. The ideas which you entertain now may be perhaps the result
of early training as much as of patient study. Let us ever look for
divine guidance. We have the promise. "Ye shall know the truth; and the
truth shall make you free."
* * * * *
I cannot but forecast the new era of joy that will come to the world
when the doctrine of Restoration is generally accepted. It will be like
a burst of sunlight from behind a dark cloud. The world is sad; and I am
convinced that one cause of its sadness is the dark view of endless
torment that has so long prevailed. The view, from long habit, may be
held almost unconsciously; but the dark shadow of it has cast a heavy
gloom over human life. What an uplift all hearts will have, what a
radiance of joy will be infused into life, we can now but dimly
anticipate. Then we can adopt the dictum of Browning, and it will be no
cheap optimism:
"God's in His heaven;
All's right with the world."
After all, that is only our poor human way of expressing the majestic
thought, "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth!"
XVIII.
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